The government today defended its bloody crackdown on hundreds of peaceful protestors near a Chinese-backed copper mine, as in accordance with “democratic principles” and the “rule of law”.

In an announcement posted on the presidential office’s website on Thursday, the government denied using excessive force against the activists, who were protesting against the controversial Latpaduang Copper Mine in Monywa township, northern Burma.

It follows reports that security forces used tear gas, flare guns and chemical agents against protestors this morning, causing over 30 people, including monks, to suffer severe injuries and burns.

According to the government, protestors – who did not have permission to demonstrate – had ignored several dispersal warnings. Security forces subsequently cleared the site “using step-by-step anti-rioting tactics” including “fire hoses, tear gas and smoke bombs which are utilised internationally for riot-suppression.”

The government insisted the copper mine was approved by the previous administration and has been designed to promote both economic development and sustainable environmental practices.

However, activists say the project has led to the confiscation of 7,800 acres of farmland and forced farmers from 66 villages in the area to move.

China also defended the mine today, and urged protestors to support the project.

“The relocation, compensation, environmental protection and other issues involved with this project were jointly settled through negotiations by the Chinese and Myanmar sides and meet Myanmar’s laws and regulations. We hope all levels of Myanmar society can provide an environment beneficial to the project’s development,” a Chinese Foreign Minister spokesman told VOA.

Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi travelled to Monywa township today in an effort to resolve the escalating crisis.

13 Comments

Idiots chanting Thamada Guyi Gone Daw in unison with Aung San Suu Kyi who will now comfort and persuade the injured people to give in just the same as the 88’s, should now wake up to the fact that this internationally acclaimed “reform” crap is totally bogus and the people’s revolution was simply intercepted, diverted and destroyed with the able help of Aung San Suu Kyi and other turn-coat “dissidents” like the 88’s and others.

“China also defended the mine today, and urged protesters to support the project.”

Support the project? What project? Leave the ancestral farm lands,go away and die quietly project???

China should be very careful. Very, very, careful with or without the nuclear weapons and those ninja sunglasses. However rich people are every one has got one life each. No more, no less.

Rohingya issue was just a crude diversion.

There is no rule of law in Burma. If there is, Thein Sein, Zaw Htay’s master and Zaw Htay will be hanging from tree tops. Than Shwe, Kyaing Kyaing, Shwe Mann, the list goes on and on.

The real revolution will now start.

Stealing the public property and giving away to papa Chinese is a CRIME. Harming the people is a CRIME. Just as much as killing the Kachins. Step-by-step terror! How shameless!!!

Battle lines are getting clearer.

“Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi travelled to Monywa township today in an effort to resolve the escalating crisis.”

There is definitely nothing Thein Sein does that this woman opposes for sure. She as a leader is now wearing thin with her true Thein Sein facilitator status coming out in the open. She will simply make the people to go along with Thein Sein fronted Sit-tut’s Country Sell Out Plan.

Obviously it was an act of a Dictator and their puppets.
If thein Sein really wants to observe the rule of law in Burma
the culprits must be punished according to the law.
Aung Min should be resigned.
Chinese company should be expelled from Burma as they are the source of all problems leading to brutal act committed to Burmese people and monks.

The causing severe burn to MONKs
never be an act to protect the rule of law.I doubt that Thein Sein’s office was occupied by a group of crazy puppets of old Dictators.
If they dare do it again we must start Copper Revolution soon.

Now,BARAC OBAMA should have regretted.
ASSK’s efforts for Democracy became the promtion to Signboard Democracy for Dictators in Burma.
After all we just found out that make up on the face of
lepers was not last so long.

This crisis is between the people who lost the land and the company who belong the copper minr. Both side must face to face sit down and negotiate to get the settlement.
Now,many people,that include monks,student and political activities are too much politicize this crisis,that is not constructive for all.Calm down,let go by the law and order.

The “Crisis” is not just for the people who got their centuries old ancestral food producing land stolen for peanuts by the Ta-yokes in collusion with ever evil Sit-tut founded by Aung San and now supported by his daughter as well as enlightened”media” people and the armchair politicians who do not understand they are losing just as much as the farmers on the ground are because they keep dreaming of those shiny buildings, theme parks, wide smooth roads and KFC which they think are the stuffs of “Paradise”.

The resources are so important and so fundamental for the whole country including all the ethnic people including Rohingya or whatever they are called, a debate has to be made for and against the use or exploitation of them including far reaching and irreversible environmental destructions and loss of food producing land as well as social disintegration.

For example, the beloved United States has more oil than the Arabs. But they buy the Arab ones to save theirs.

Same with Saudi wheat farms in the desert, now stopped for fear of losing their own underground waters.

Poor in dollar terms as Burma is, the very reason Burma is poor in dollar terms (N.B Only in dollars term alone, not in Social Cohesion scale, Happiness scale, food and water production/ possession scales) is simply because Than Shwe (Ye-Mye-Shin) owned Sit-tut is bent on killing all other people of any race or colour who do not bow down to them.

That means buying guns and killing apparatus as well as loss of productive labour and land and selling out the national treasures – timber, fish, jade, gems, etc.- at “thief’s price”.

And to make things worse, this is just a beginning yet.

Things WILL get worse suddenly and immensely once the Hollywood Star looking “western” multinational corporations come in as invited by Thein Sein and Aung San Suu Kyi.

Unless every one wakes up and circles their wagons as they are doing now, each one will be picked off by…

Democracy only goes hand to hand with educated mass. Illiterates will use it to stir up protest without thinking through. And those with power will respond in the only manner they know how–violence. Both sides should takes a step back, and look at things from wider angle.

this crisis is between people who lost land n company, why monks are in protest, always monks every place, see buddist from other countries never in politic, only myanmar monks in politic,protest n in killing, monks order to kill muslim in arakan state.

@Ko Lay : Yes. I agree with you that monks are in politic. I do not understand. Maybe someone can educate me on it. I hope monks focus on spreading loving kindness and guiding a true buddhist religion rather than getting involve in the politic. I do not see monks in other asia countries do what burmese monks have been doing(too involve in politic). If you notice from the photos, monks who involve in the politic are youth. It makes me think that why they become a monk at the first place. Is that because of financial hardship or do they truly believe in the buddhism, or by force or else? The way burmese monks handling some matters contradicts a true buddhism. People can get offended by this comment. I hope they realize there is an issue (monks getting involve in politic) and correct it.

I am buddhist (learning a true buddhism) and accept other religion. I am happy to share my religion and learn other religions. I am not on government side. I admire Daw Suu who is my idle, but I do not worship her. Yes. Daw Suu speaks out on this matter but not on other matters. I notice it. But she doesn’t need to speak out on other issues. Public need to take responsibility not always rely on Daw Suu to resolve all the issues. (she is 67 now) Yelling, screaming, crying, disliking will not resolve the issue.

At this point, burmese people need to comprise and be patience during this transition (don’t make it my way or no way). All of 50 years sufferings are coming out now. Can’t blame the public. Perhaps, rich burmese (rich successful burmese business people) or previous corrupted general family members need to bring the money back out to help the poor burmese who have been suffering.

If burmese people like to use internet, you must accept another race and religion because internet is now a universal communication which includes all races and religions. Remember, the internet was invented by non-burmese.